Source: Apple
What you need to know
- Apple's new M1-powered MacBook Air has some new function keys.
- Keys for Spotlight, Dictation, and Do Not Disturb are included.
- Launchpad and keyboard brightness keys have made way.
Apple announced the first MacBook Air to be powered by Apple silicon today and it's already shaping up to be a great little notebook. We're also starting to learn more about it as we all do a little digging and there's an interesting tidbit in relation to its keyboard – it has some new keys.
Well, kind of. As spotted by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the new M1-powered MacBook Air has done away with the Launchpad and keyboard brightness keys and replaced them with keys for Spotlight, Dictation, and Do Not Disturb. Despite there already being a perfectly good keyboard shortcut for Spotlight at the very least.
The loss of the Launchpad key is something a full 100% of people will never even notice – I defy anyone to prove to me that they use Launchpad – but the removal of keyboard brightness keys might impact a few people here and there. Still, I assume Apple has some usage numbers to back this kind of thing up.
I'd love to know what those numbers are, though. As for the new 13-inch MacBook Pro, that thing has the infamous Touch Bar in lieu of buttons anyway.

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